The Last Promise
by Tears of the Moon 17
Summary: Wally had thought everything had been okay that day . . . He had thought that Artemis was just being moody . . . But she wasn't. She was going to kill herself. Songfic Set in season 1.


Disclaimer- I don't own YJ nor the Japanese song "Saigo No Yakusoku".

I was listening to this song when a sad YJ one-shot hit me. Of course, it'll be Wally/Artemis. I just love torturing those two! (What can I say? I'm a sucker for tragedy.) Anyway, I know that Artemis isn't suicidal in season 1 but it was too tempting to resist. And as for the lyrics, they'll be in English. Please keep in mind that because Japanese and English are two VERY DIFFERENT languages, there are SEVERAL translations of the lyrics. (I chose this translation because the lyrics seemed to fit this one-shot better.) So if you go on YouTube and see different translations of the song, DO NOT COME TO ME SAYING I'VE MESSED UP THE LYRICS. Anyway, hope you guys this tragic one-shot and review! ^-^

Note- The lyrics are in _**bold italics**_.

Note 2- Saigo No Yakusoku in English means the last promise. (It can also be translated as the final promise.)

Note 3- If you wish to listen to this song, please PM me. I can tell you where to find it on YouTube. Oh and be sure to listen to it in Japanese. It sounds a LOT better (and sadder).

**The Last Promise**

_**As it started to rain,**_ _**you seemed in a hurry to say goodbye.**_

Wally had known there was wrong with Artemis when he had offered to drop her off at her house in Gotham. He had known yet he had shrugged it off, dismissing her behavior as a barrier since she had told him her secret identity just mere days ago. HE HAD KNOWN YET HAD DONE NOTHING! He should have followed her and stopped her from slitting her wrists, from committing suicide.

He should have . . . HE SHOULD HAVE!

But no, he had only gone when he gotten a weird phone call from her. She had told him that she couldn't handle the world anymore, that she wasn't strong enough. She had whispered that she didn't know what to do anymore and that death seemed to beckon at her, hovering over her everywhere she went. She had resisted till that morning when her mom had died of a heart attack. That had shocked Wally for several reasons. He hadn't known that her mom was dead and that Artemis felt that way. The shock had grown when Artemis had said farewell instead of bye like she always did.

That had made Wally extremely nervous. Surely, she wasn't going to-! Panic dancing in his green eyes, Wally raced out of Mount Justice and had knocked down the door to Artemis' bathroom. There he found her on the floor with her bleeding wrists cradled to her chest, her blood a big puddle around her.

"ARTEMIS!"

Wally's mind went blank as he grabbed towels from the wall and tried to cover her draining wrists. But she had already lost too much blood . . . it was-

Artemis shook her head at his efforts, smiling softly. "It's too late . . . I'm going to die."

Wally furiously shook his head, his eyes locked on her blood. "No . . . we'll get to a hospital and-"

"No, Wally . . . I've already lost too much . . . They wouldn't be able to save me."

_**Let's talk about something . . . anything.**_

_**I want to be with you a little longer.**_

Wally didn't seem to hear her words as he tightly held her hand. He could only hear her blood crying as it left her veins and onto the stained floor. He could only hear his heart frantically beating against his ribs and the grief that was tearing his mind apart. He had closed his eyes in hope that he wouldn't be able to feel the whirlpool of emotions that were currently tormenting his heart.

It didn't work.

_**If I let go of your hand, I will never hold it again.**_

_**I've bravely closed my eyes against emotions that are overwhelming me.**_

"Wally . . . are you crying?"

No, he wasn't. How could he? If he did, that would be the last thing that Artemis would see and Wally didn't want that . . . No, that last thing she would see would be his smiling face that covered up the wreck he was inside.

_**I won't cry until it's over . . .**_

_**Even though that face and voice are tearing my heart apart.**_

Wally opened his eyes and raised his head, lacing a sad smile on his lips. "No . . . I'm not."

Artemis nodded stiffly, a small smile gracing her dying lips. "Good . . . I don't want to be the one to make you cry."

Wally's smile wavered, her smile reminded him of his fantasy of telling her that he loved her and how she would smile happily at his words. But he would never get to see that smile again . . . Nor hear the words he longed to hear come from her lips.

_**Why did this happen?**_

_**I don't want to believe it . . .**_

_**With all these memories, I love you too much.**_

Wally didn't understand why this happened. He didn't understand why her mother had to die and Artemis had no one else to go to. He didn't understand how death seemed the perfect solution to all her problems. He didn't understand why she was leaving him when she had finally opened up to him.

He didn't understand any of it.

" . . . Wally? Don't cry for me, okay? I'm not worth it . . ."

_**I can't speak though my heart cries out.**_

_**If I keep holding you back like this, you'll be soaked by the rain.**_

Wally gritted his teeth as her words hit his heart in a painful way. She thought she wasn't worth crying for? He loved her! How could he not mourn her passing? How could he just let her go like she was just a stranger who didn't hold his heart in the palm of her hand?

How could he just forget?

Her words had upset him but Wally didn't say a word. All he did was gather her in his arms and let her lie in his arms as her eyes slowly closed.

_**In a quiet, protective way, you gently wrap your hands around mine.**_

_**Someday . . . my memories of this will fade away.**_

Artemis slowly moved her blood-covered hands to touch his arm that was wrapped around her back, not saying a word.

Wally just watched her movements will tear-rimmed eyes. He knew they only had a few precious minutes left . . . Then she would leave him alone with only regretful memories to taunt him as he grew older. But Wally somehow knew that someday, his memories of her and the team would fade away like old memories do.

But did he want that? Did he really want to let go of the memories of his precious person?

. . . Not really.

_**Without looking back, you say, "We'll meet again someday." . . .**_

_**The final promise I was waiting for.**_

"Wally . . . will we meet again?" Artemis softly asked with her eyes still closed.

Wally nearly choked up. "Of course we will."

" . . . Good . . . I don't want to be in the afterlife alone . . . Don't live to be like two hundred, okay? I don't feel like waiting that long."

"Okay."

_**I know we can never share the same dreams again but . . .**_

_**I wish I could stop time like this.**_

Oh, how Wally wished he had the power to stop time. He didn't want Artemis to leave him now . . . not ever! But what could he have done? She had already been on the brink of death when he had gotten there just a couple of minutes ago! They wouldn't have been able to save her! All they would have done was given him false hope that she would live! Yes . . . all they would have done is given him false hope . . .

But wouldn't that have been better than sitting on her bathroom floor with her blood on the floor? Wouldn't that have been better than holding her in his arms like he had dreamed but knowing that she was dying? Wouldn't have that been better than watching her die?

Wouldn't it have been?

"Wally . . ." Artemis breathed, her heart beating slower and slower.

_**I won't cry until it's over, once you can't see me.**_

_**My courage melts away . . .**_

_**I don't want to believe . . .**_

Wally could feel his tears stinging his green eyes, begging him to let them freely fall from his eyes. But he wouldn't allow himself to cry. Not yet . . . Not when she was still alive . . . Not when she could still see him cry.

"Wally . . ." Artemis breathed again.

He couldn't believe how the way she said his name tugged on his heartstrings and the pain that followed. How much he would have given to hear her say his name like that before today. He probably would have given up his super speed but now . . . He would give up his power to save her life, the life she had carelessly thrown away.

Why hadn't she talked to him? Why hadn't she confided in him so he could talk her out of it? Why? If she had, he wouldn't be here right now with her dying body in his bloody hands.

If she had, he wouldn't have to say good bye.

" . . . Good . . . bye . . ."

Wally's heart nearly leapt out his chest when he felt Artemis exhaled for the last time and her body went limp. He didn't want to believe it! She couldn't die yet! He still had so much to tell her!

"Artemis! Artemis!" he yelled again and again as he shook her dead body, refusing to believe that she was dead.

But she was. Artemis, the one he loved, was dead in his arms.

That fact hitting him, Wally sobbed into her shoulder as he let all of his pain and grief out for the girl who he had befriended . . . For the girl he had bickered with . . . For the girl he had fought with . . . For the girl he had eaten M'gann's horrible cooking with . . . For the girl he had managed to get to open up to him . . . For the girl he had fallen in love with bit by bit . . .

And for the girl he had lost.

_**I still can't . . .**_

_**With all these memories, I love you too much . . .**_

A/N- Wow, that was depressing. So how about those review? This was 1,847 words long.


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